Reports results of a survey of Iowa City residents regarding their awareness of public library services. Data are presented on use of the library for factual information, statistical/numerical information, learning, and information not available at home; awareness of in-person and telephone library reference services; and knowledge about…

Discussion of public library standards focuses on an examination of four quantitative standards: hours of service, library resources, library staff, and library operating budgets, to determine if any agreement exists about them among states. Results indicate that there is no consensus regarding public library standards or approaches to public…

Discusses the Public Library Data Service survey results in regard to children's services. Data are presented on annual circulation, circulation per capita, program attendance, collection turnover rates, and the materials budget. (EA)

Data on the 81 largest libraries in the "Public Library Data Service '96 Statistical Report" were examined to determine the validity of commonly held assumptions, namely that the age, educational level, and economic status of a community correlate, one way or another, with public library use and support in that community. No evidence to…

Based on a 1993 survey of 187 children's librarians in 14 states, this status report summarizes and discusses data representing input measures, output measures, fill rates, and special questions about the relationship between school and public libraries. It makes recommendations for improving the quantity and quality of data used to make decisions…

Explains the criteria by which 50 public libraries were chosen as outstanding, and reports the results of a survey of the directors which focused on major problems in libraries; desired goals in administration and technical and public services; predicted trends; stage of computerization; and sources of information and new ideas. (CLB)

Discusses the findings of a national survey of public libraries that focused on service to older adults. Areas discussed include services most frequently provided, services to the institutionalized, the impact of ageism on library policies, and the extent of cooperation with other agencies. (18 references) (CLB)

Discusses results of a national telephone survey that was conducted to assess public opinion about the importance of various roles of public libraries. Topics addressed include financial support and community spending for public libraries; differences of opinions between ethnic groups and by demographic groups; and possible uses of the data.…

This study examined patron survey results and nonlibrary consumer activity in a small community to define convenient public library hours. No correlation between library and commercial enterprise activity was found, although some recommendations on library service were suggested by the data. The questionnaire is appended. (23 references) (MES)

Examines data from the National Center for Educational Statistics to determine whether networking and resource-sharing activities of public libraries have increased libraries' use of Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Results suggest that libraries have significantly increased their borrowing through ILL in recent years. Two tables provide loan statistics.…

Discusses the impact of the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) on state prison libraries. Evaluations of the LSCA are reviewed; the effectiveness of the LSCA in the areas of library budgets, staff, and book collection size is considered; and recommendations for further research are suggested. (22 references) (LRW)

Describes results of a 1986 survey of adult public library users in Mississippi. Data are reported on occupation, age groups, sex, level of education, frequency of visits, and services used; and results are compared with the findings of surveys of public library patrons in other states. A copy of the questionnaire is included. (six references)…

Public library programing for babies under 18 months and parents/caregivers is discussed. The results of a national study investigating programs for babies, reasons why they are not offered, librarian attitudes, and funding support are presented. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers are offered, and the questionnaire is appended. (41…

Describes a study that was conducted in Provo, Utah, to identify motivators as factors in adult use of libraries. Four major areas were used to examine motivation: home and family life, vocational growth, religion, and politics. Six user characteristics were also studied, and implications for public libraries are suggested. (nine references) (LRW)

Presents results of a study that examined the kinds of statistics on children's services collected by state library agencies and juvenile circulation statistics collected by individual libraries. Data on libraries are compared according to the size of the library; and the incidence of automated systems for various sizes of libraries is reported.…